Apparatus for making a frozen confection

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for making a frozen confection and having a refrigerated cylinder with a piston which reciprocates therein. The piston carries a sprayer which sprays a flavoured liquid medium on the inner surface of the cylinder during movement in one direction and scrapes the resultant frozen confection from the cylinder during movement in the other direction. The sprayer is fed through a passage in the piston from an arrangement which responds to movement of the piston to discharge the flavoured liquid medium through the sprayer.

United States Patent 1191 Abbott Oct. 16, 1.973

[ 1 APPARATUS FOR MAKING A FROZEN CONFECTION [76] Inventor: Ronald L.Abbott, 2325 Panorama Dr., Deep Cove, North Vancouver, British Columbia,Canada [22] Filed: Apr. 6, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 241,669

[51] Int. Cl F25c 1/14, F25c 7/10 [58] Field of Search 62/347, 354, 233,62/74 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,104,260 1/1938 Kemp62/354 X 2,317,624 4/1943 Lindsey 62/347 X 1/1966 Cornelius H...

2,860,490 11/1958 Taylor ..62/354X Primary Examiner-William E. WaynerAttorney-Kellard A. Carter [5 7 ABSTRACT An apparatus for making afrozen confection and having a refrigerated cylinder with a piston whichreciprocates therein. The piston carries a sprayer which sprays aflavoured liquid medium on the inner surface of the cylinder duringmovement in one direction and scrapes the resultant frozen confectionfrom the cylinder during movement in the other direction. The sprayer isfed through a passage in the piston from an arrangement which respondsto movement of the piston to discharge the flavoured liquid mediumthrough the sprayer.

10 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure 1 APPARATUS FOR MAKING A FROZEN CON FECTIONzen confection from a flavoured liquid medium, comprising spraying meansmounted on a traveller member movable so as -to reciprocate along apredetermined path, means communicating with said spraying means andresponsive to the movement of the traveller member in one 'directionfordischarging said flavoured liquid medium under pressure through saidspraying means, a structure extending parallel to the path of movementof said traveller member and defining a collector surface for a layer ofsaid liquid medium discharged as a spray by said spraying means, meansfor refrigerating said collector surface to convert said sprayed layerof said liquid medium into a frozen confection, and scraper meansmovable so as to reciprocate along said collector surface for scrapingsaid frozen confection from the'surface.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference tothe accompanying drawing which is a partly dia'grammaticsectionalelevation of an apparatus according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus comprises a cylinder 1, thelower portion of which is surrounded by cooling coils 2 connected to arefrigerator unit 3. A piston '4 vertically movable within the cylinder1 has a concave lower first face 5 the periphery of which is formed witha concave annular recess6. The outer edge 7 of the recess 6 forms ascraper edge for a purpose that will be described'below. The second face8 of the piston cairiestwo aligned pairs of journals 9'in which gudgeonpins 10are journalled. The gudgeon pins each have one arm of abifurcated connecting rod 11 journalledthereon, the other end of theconnecting rod 1 lbeing pivoted to a crank disc 12. The crank disc 12 iskeyed on ashaft l3 rotatable in bearings 14 and carrying at its otherend a gearlS. The gear 15 meshes with the gear 16 driven by an electricmotor 17. It will be evident that when the motor 17 is started verticalreciprocal motion of'the piston 4 will take place'within the cylinder 1.

The piston'4 is provided with an axial bore, threaded at its upper end,in which a correspondingly threaded plug 18 is'engaged so as to providea seal. The threaded plug 18 comprises an outer tube 19 carrying thethread and an inner coaxial tube 20 providing a ductthrough the piston.The annular space between the ducts l9 and 20 is filled with'thermalinsulating material 21. The

tube 19 incorporates a spring loaded non-return valve 22, permittingfluid flow only in a downward direction and has a spray head 23securedthereto at the lower end so as to project fromtheface 5 of thepiston. The spray head 23 is adapted to produce a fine radial coniforrnspray, generally of theconfiguration shown at 24 in the drawing, so astocoat the collectorsurface 27 of the cylinder '1 i'rninediatelybeneaththescraper edge 7 during upward movement of the piston.

A feed cylinder 25 is mounted on the surface 8 of the piston in coaxialrelation to the piston and so as to surround the upper end of the'tu'be19. A feed tube '26 is fixed to a frame (not shown) in fixed relation tothe cylinder 1. The'feed tube 26 extends downwardly into the feedcylinder 25 and is formed with apiston head 28 at its lower end which.engages with the walls of the cylinder 25 so as to define a feed chamber29 of varying volume. A non return valve 30 is provided at the lower endof the feed tube 26, so as to be flush with the lower surface of thepiston head 28 when closed. At the upper end, the feed tube 26 isprovided with a non-return air inlet valve 31 in a side wall, the upperend of the feed tube being screw threaded for engagement with a pipeunion 32. The pipe union 32 connects a delivery pipe 33 from a meteringpump 34 to the feed tube 26. On its suction side, the pump 34 isconnected to four suction control valves 35 whereby the pump can bearranged to selectively draw liquid through any one of these valves. Thevalves 35 are provided with quick release connectors 36 for connectionto stock containers 37 each containing a different flavoured liquidmedium.

The suction control valves 35 are each electrically operable fromcontrol buttons 38 in a programming and control unit 39 to which theyare connected by electrical lines 40. The valves 35 are connectedelectrically in parallel to the pump 34 so that the pump isautomatically started when any one of the valves 35 is ac-, tuated. Theprogramming and control unit 39 is also electrically connected by a line41 to the motor 17 and by a line 42 to a contact switch 43. The contactswitch 43 produces a signal each time the piston 4 attains the upperlimits of its movement. The programming and control unit 39 derivespower from a power supply indicated at 44.

In operation, one of the selector buttons 38 is first depressed so thatthe valve 35 connected to one of the containers 37 is opened and thepump 34 started. The

. pump 34 pumps a metered quantity of the flavoured liquid medium intothe feed tube 26 and automatically stops when the required amount hasbeen supplied. The

valve 35 also closes, and the programming unit 39 then starts the motor17 which causes reciprocal movement of the piston 4. The piston 4,normally at' rest in its uppermost position, starts to fall thus openingthe nonreturn valve 30 and closing the non-return valve 22.

The partial vacuum created in the feed chamber 29 during this movementwithdraws a volume of the flavoured liquid medium from the feed tube 26,the vaccollector surface 27. Here, the flavoured liquid medium is frozenby the cooling coils 2.

After reaching the upper limit of its movement, at which time, theswitch 43 provides a signal to the programming and control unit 39, thepiston commences a second down stroke which again closes the valve 22and opens the valve 30. This down stroke of the piston 4 simultaneouslyscrapes the resultant frozen confection from the collector surface 27with the scraper edge 7 whilst again refilling the feed chamber 29 fromthe feed tube 26. The concave annular recess 6 causes the confectionscraped from the collector surface 27 to be deflected downwardly forcollection in a removable receptacle 45 placed beneath the cylinder 1.

The above described cycle is repeated until the feed tube 26 has beenevacuated of flavored liquid medium,

the number of strokes of the piston required being sensed and signalledby the contact switch 43. The final upward stroke of the piston willtake place with the chamber 29 changed with air so that residualflavored liquid medium remaining in the tube 19 will be expelled. Themotor 17 is then stopped by the programming unit when the piston 4 is inits uppermost position.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for making a frozen confection from a flavoured liquidmedium, comprising spraying means and a scraper means, both fixedlysecured to a reciprocable traveller member for reciprocating movementtogether therewith along a predetermined path, pressure means fordelivering flavoured liquid under pressure to said spraying means, saidpressure means being operable by a force generated by each movement ofthe traveller member in one direction along said path for dischargingsaid flavoured liquid medium under pressure through said spraying means,a structure defining a collector surface for a layer of said liquidmedium discharged as a spray by said spraying means, said collectorsurface extending parallel to the path of movement of said travellermember, means for refrigerating said collector surface to convert saidsprayed layer of liquid medium into a frozen confection, and saidscraper means positioned to scrape said frozen confection from saidsurface during each movement of the traveller member in the otherdirection along said path.

2. Apparatus for making a frozen confection from a flavoured liquidmedium, comprising a piston member mounted for reciprocal movement, asprayer mounted at a first face of the piston, means connected to thesecond face of the piston and communicating with said sprayer, fordischarging said flavoured liquid medium under pressure in response tothe movement of the piston in the direction faced by said second face, acylinder surrounding said piston and internally defining a collectorsurface for a layer of said liquid medium discharged as a spray by saidsprayer, means for refrigerating said collector surface to convert saidlayer of liquid medium into a frozen confection, and a scraper edgeprovided on the periphery of said first face of the piston for scrapingsaid frozen confection from the collector surface during movement of thepiston in the direction faced by said first face. y

3. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the first face of said pistonis concave and formed at the peripheral region with a shallow continuouscircumferential recess, the outer edge of said recess forming saidscraper edge and the recess serving as a deflector for frozen confectionremoved from the collector surface by said scraper edge, with saidsprayer being adapted to produce a coniform radial discharge onto thecollector surface immediately adjacent to said outer edge.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said piston is provided witha threaded axial bore, and wherein said sprayer is provided on athreaded plug assembly engageable in said base, said plug assemblycomprising an outer threaded tube, an inner tube coaxial with said outertube having said sprayer secured thereto at the lower end, said innerand outer tubes being separated by thermal insulating material, and anon-return valve provided in said inner tube so as to permit fluid flowonly towards said sprayer.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for dischargingflavoured liquid comprises a hollow feed tube mounted in fixed parallelrelation to the collector surface and having a first non-return outletvalve at a first end facing the piston, means connected to the secondend of said hollow feed tube for supplying thereto a metered quantity offlavoured liquid medium, a feed cylinder mounted on said piston andsurrounding said feed tube so as to define with the first end of thefeed tube a feed chamber of variable volume, means defining acommunicating passage between said chamber and said sprayer and anon-return outlet valve from said chamber located in said communicatingpassage whereby flavoured liquid medium in said feed tube is drawn intosaid feed tube during scraping movement of the piston and dischargedfrom said feed chamber through said communicating passage and sprayerduring spraying movement of the piston.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 and further comprising a non-returnair inlet valve at the second end of the feed tube for relieving vacuumduring withdrawal of said liquid into the feed chamber.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said metering means comprisesa metering pump and one or more suction control valves each connected tosaid pump suction, the or each suction control valve having a quickrelease inlet connector for connection to a stock container of flavouredliquid medium.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said metering pump and saidone or more suction control valves are electrically operable, with theor each valve being connected electrically in series with said pumpwhereby electrical operation of a valve causes simultaneous operation ofthe pump.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, and further comprising a connectingrod connected to said piston, an electric drive motor, a transmissionconnected to said electric drive motors to said connecting rod forcausing reciprocal movement of the piston, a contact switch located toopen upon movement of the piston to a limiting position in the directionfaced by said second face, a programming and control unit, and meanselectrically connecting said suction control valves, electric drivemotor and switch, said programming and control unit comprising selectormeans for actuating the or one of said suction control valves andstarting said pump, whereby, upon actuation of a suction control valve,the pump delivers a measured amount of flavoured liquid medium to saidfeed tube, said programming and control unit then closing said suctioncontrol valve and stopping said pump, starting said motor to cause saidpiston to perform a predetermined number of strokes sufficient tosubstantially evacuate said feed tube and feed chamber, said strokesbeing signalled to the programming unit by the contact switch, andstopping said motor at the end of the final stroke in the directionfaced by said second face of the piston.

10. Apparatus for making a frozen confection from a flavoured liquidmedium, comprising a piston defining a passage extending between thefaces thereof, a first face of said piston being concave and having anannular concave recess at the periphery thereof to define a scraper edgeand deflector, a sprayer mounted centrally of said first face at the endof said passage and adapted to produce a radial coniform spray, aconnecting rod connected at one end to the second face of said piston, acrank disc connected to the other end of the connecting rod, atransmission shaft mounting said crank disc for rotation, an electricmotor driving said transmission shaft, a cylinder within which saidpiston is movable, said cylinder'defining internally a collector surfacefor a layer of said flavoured liquid medium, means for refrigeratingsaid collector surface to convert said flavoured liquid medium into afrozen confection, a feed cylinder mounted on the second face of saidpiston in axially parallel alignment with said piston and so as tocommunicate with said passage, a nonreturn valve in the outlet from saidcylinder to said passage, a feed tube fixed in relation to said firstmentioned cylinder and formed with a piston head around which said feedcylinder is engageable, said feed tube defining a feed chamber ofvaryingvolume with said feed cylinder, a non return valve at the outlet fromthe feed tube to the feed chamber, a non-return air inlet valve in thefeed tube at the end remote from said piston head, a metering pumpconnected to the end of the feed tube remote from said piston head, anda plurality of suction control valves connected to said metering pump,said suction control valves each including a quick release connector forconnection to a stock container of flavoured liquid medium, wherebyafter said feed tube is charged with flavoured liquid medium by saidmetering pump, reciprocal movement of said piston causes said medium tobe sprayed onto said collector surface, frozen, and the resultant frozenconfection to be scraped from the collector surface by said scraperedge.

1. Apparatus for making a frozen confection from a flavoured liquidmedium, comprising spraying means and a scraper means, both fixedlysecured to a reciprocable traveller member for reciprocating movementtogether therewith along a predetermined path, pressure means fordelivering flavoured liquid under pressure to said spraying means, saidpressure means being operable by a force generated by each movement ofthe traveller member in one direction along said path for dischargingsaid flavoured liquid medium under pressure through said spraying means,a structure defining a collector surface for a layer of said liquidmedium discharged as a spray by said spraying means, said collectorsurface extending parallel to the path of movement of said travellermember, means for refrigerating said collector surface to convert saidsprayed layer of liquid medium into a frozen confection, and saidscraper means positioned to scrape said frozen confection from saidsurface during each movement of the traveller member in the otherdirection along said path.
 2. Apparatus for making a frozen confectionfrom a flavoured liquid medium, comprising a piston member mounted forreciprocal movement, a sprayer mounted at a first face of the piston,means connected to the second face of the piston and communicating withsaid sprayer, for discharging said flavoured liquid medium underpressure in response to the movement of the piston in the directionfaced by said second face, a cylinder surrounding said piston andinternally defining a collector surface for a layer of said liquidmedium discharged as a spray by said sprayer, means for refrigeratingsaid collector surface to convert said layer of liquid medium into afrozen confection, and a scraper edge provided on the periphery of saidfirst face of the piston for scraping said frozen confection from thecollector surface during movement of the piston in the direction facedby said first face.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein thefirst face of said piston is concave and formed at the peripheral regionwith a shallow continuous circumferential recess, the outer edge of saidrecess forming said scraper edge and the recess serving as a deflectorfor frozen confection removed from the collector surface by said scraperedge, with said sprayer being adapted to produce a coniform radialdischarge onto the collector surface immediately adjacent to said outeredge.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said piston isprovided with a threaded axial bore, and wherein said sprayer isprovided on a threaded plug assembly engageable in said base, said plugassembly comprising an outer threaded tube, an inner tube coaxial withsaid outer tube having said sprayer secured thereto at the lower end,said inner and outer tubes being separated by thermal insulatingmaterial, and a non-return valve provided in said inner tube so as topermit fluid flow only towards said sprayer.
 5. Apparatus as claimed inclaim 2, wherein said means for discharging flavoured liquid comprises ahollow feed tube mounted in fixed parallel relation to the collectorsurface and having a first non-return outlet valve at a first end facingthe piston, means connected to the second end of said hollow feed tubefor supplying thereto a metered quantity of flavoured liquid medium, afeed cylinder mounted on said piston and surrounding said feed tube soas to define with the first end of the feed tube a feed chamber ofvariable volume, means defining a communicating passage between saidchamber and said sprayer and a non-return outlet valve from said chamberlocated in said communicating passage whereby flavoured liquid medium Insaid feed tube is drawn into said feed tube during scraping movement ofthe piston and discharged from said feed chamber through saidcommunicating passage and sprayer during spraying movement of thepiston.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 and further comprising anon-return air inlet valve at the second end of the feed tube forrelieving vacuum during withdrawal of said liquid into the feed chamber.7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said metering means comprisesa metering pump and one or more suction control valves each connected tosaid pump suction, the or each suction control valve having a quickrelease inlet connector for connection to a stock container of flavouredliquid medium.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said meteringpump and said one or more suction control valves are electricallyoperable, with the or each valve being connected electrically in serieswith said pump whereby electrical operation of a valve causessimultaneous operation of the pump.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8,and further comprising a connecting rod connected to said piston, anelectric drive motor, a transmission connected to said electric drivemotors to said connecting rod for causing reciprocal movement of thepiston, a contact switch located to open upon movement of the piston toa limiting position in the direction faced by said second face, aprogramming and control unit, and means electrically connecting saidsuction control valves, electric drive motor and switch, saidprogramming and control unit comprising selector means for actuating theor one of said suction control valves and starting said pump, whereby,upon actuation of a suction control valve, the pump delivers a measuredamount of flavoured liquid medium to said feed tube, said programmingand control unit then closing said suction control valve and stoppingsaid pump, starting said motor to cause said piston to perform apredetermined number of strokes sufficient to substantially evacuatesaid feed tube and feed chamber, said strokes being signalled to theprogramming unit by the contact switch, and stopping said motor at theend of the final stroke in the direction faced by said second face ofthe piston.
 10. Apparatus for making a frozen confection from aflavoured liquid medium, comprising a piston defining a passageextending between the faces thereof, a first face of said piston beingconcave and having an annular concave recess at the periphery thereof todefine a scraper edge and deflector, a sprayer mounted centrally of saidfirst face at the end of said passage and adapted to produce a radialconiform spray, a connecting rod connected at one end to the second faceof said piston, a crank disc connected to the other end of theconnecting rod, a transmission shaft mounting said crank disc forrotation, an electric motor driving said transmission shaft, a cylinderwithin which said piston is movable, said cylinder defining internally acollector surface for a layer of said flavoured liquid medium, means forrefrigerating said collector surface to convert said flavoured liquidmedium into a frozen confection, a feed cylinder mounted on the secondface of said piston in axially parallel alignment with said piston andso as to communicate with said passage, a non-return valve in the outletfrom said cylinder to said passage, a feed tube fixed in relation tosaid first mentioned cylinder and formed with a piston head around whichsaid feed cylinder is engageable, said feed tube defining a feed chamberof varying volume with said feed cylinder, a non return valve at theoutlet from the feed tube to the feed chamber, a non-return air inletvalve in the feed tube at the end remote from said piston head, ametering pump connected to the end of the feed tube remote from saidpiston head, and a plurality of suction control valves connected to saidmetering pump, said suction control valves each including a quickrelease connector for connection to a stock container of flavouredliquid medium, whereby after said feed tube is charged with flavouredliquid medium by said metering pump, reciprocal movement of said pistoncauses said medium to be sprayed onto said collector surface, frozen,and the resultant frozen confection to be scraped from the collectorsurface by said scraper edge.